DUSHANBE, 31.12.2019 (NIAT Khovar) –  On December 30, the Tajik government  approved the law «On Tourism» that is recognized as one of the priority sectors of the economy of Tajikistan, reported the Tourism Development Committee.

More than a million tourists visited the protected places of Tajikistan in the first nine month of 2019, which is an increase of 20% compared to the same period previous year. To date, more than 200 travel companies operate in the country.

The expert of the Tourism Development Committee noted that for the development of the tourism industry, it is important to increase the quality of service for tourists, train specialists in langaues, culture, history and modern technology, train employees of travel companies, guides, translators and other specialists in accordance with the requirements of the tourism market. In addition, it is necessary to create accessible tourist infrastructure, including for budget-conscious tourists.

In November the Asian Development Bank (ADB) had approved a $10 million grant to help Tajikistan develop tourism. The project is ADB’s first tourism sector operation in Tajikistan.

The project will prepare a comprehensive tourism development plan, including market demand analysis and skills mapping, as well as strengthening the institutional capacity in the sector.

The project will also help the country formulate a Tourism Satellite Account, a strategic prerequisite for developing and monitoring the sector that provides information on issues such as the tourism share in the country’s gross domestic product, national employment, and foreign direct investment, the relationship of tourism to net foreign exchange flows, the share of various types of tourism along with associated revenues, and the breakdown of tourism expenditures.

Additionally, the project will identify and develop the priority investment pipeline and prepare feasibility studies and detailed designs of identified projects.

The total cost of the project is $11 million, with the government of Tajikistan providing $1 million. The project is expected to be completed in 2024.